The Masters of the Universe Classics line is an all including series that features characters from all eras. That includes guys who didn't get figures before such as new guys introduced in the 200X MYP cartoon. Let's take a look at the first full 200X character to come out in the line; Chief Carnivus.

Now, yes, Count Marzo was released beforehand and was done in 200X style, however the character of Marzo first appeared in the Flmation cartoon. Carnivus was introduced in the MYP show. As such fans of the vintage line who didn't follow the 200X series (shame on you) may not fully recognize him. Despite only having a small role on the show, Carnivus' design was one that many fans wanted to see in figure form. So how does his first figure stand up and does it fit in with the others? Let's take a look.

Carnivus comes in the standard MOTUC packaging with the back of the box showing off other figures in the line and displaying a bio for the character.

Okay the first thing I want to point out is on the cartoon he was called KING Carnivus. At first I thought maybe they changed it to Chief to avoid confusion as Randor is king of Eternia, but then Buzz-Off was listed as king of the Andrenids (when on the cartoon he was just a lord) so I have no idea why this was changed. Also on the cartoon Carnivus and the Qadians (where's the u?) gladly allied with Randor early on long before the Snake Men got released (and the show never got to the Horde).

These may seem like minor changes, but I feel it alters the personality of Carnivus from friendly and noble to a more withdrawn character. Now, on to the figure itself.

Carnivus uses the same furry sculpt as Beast Man for the most part, which works well for the design. His shin guards are reused from He-Ro's boot tops. He does feature new hands and feet that feature a more paw like appearance. His head is a great design that captures a fierce but noble lion look. You will notice that his hair was toned down a bit from the anime like style of the cartoon, but still remains fairly faithful. Between the thick hair and the cape though head movement is a bit restricted.

He features a new loincloth piece that is a nice change, but I fell the face on the belt looks more serpent than feline like. It reminds be more of the 200X King Hiss.

His armor is a slip on that sits over his shoulders. The shoulder pads are attached with small strips and are flexible so that the pad moves with the arm and doesn't interfere with articulation very much . His cape is a new design, separate from his armor, and made of a light flexible plastic so it doesn't weigh him down badly. However it is of a length that goes all the way down to the feet. So when standing straight it's okay, but when you try to pose it can get in the way as once you bend his legs the cape becomes longer than the body.

For accessories Carnivus has a new style sword which features a unique design unlike what we usually see in the line. It features a curved almost katanna like blade a a hilt with a large red gem. He also comes with a shield that clips to his wrist. The shield features a cat head emblem design that is based on the vintage Central Tower. Would be interesting to see if there's any story reason behind this.

Now I have to admit, Carnivus was not high on my most wanted list of figures, even if only counting new 200X characters. Nevertheless, this is a very cool design and while there may not be as huge a nostalgic factor, he does fit in to the line very well. He actually comes off as a character you can easily imagine having been in MOTU since the vintage days. Sure he may also seem more Thundercats like, but personally I've always felt MOTU and Thundercats characters cross over well anyway. And since this guy is from the MOTU cartoon, we do have some background to go on, he's not just thrown in he is a character that belongs here.

Carnivus is available now on Mattycollector.com as part of the Mad Matty March sale and is marked down 10%. Until next time, Good Journey.

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